Chances of meeting a person with any type of hearing loss is high. You might even meet someone that has a severe to profound or total hearing loss: like me! I am at a severe to profound hearing loss and without hearing aids, I only have about 15-20% hearing. I have been wearing hearing aids since I was 5 years old. So, when you meet someone such as me, what do you do?
First, my hearing is sensorineural. This means that my inner ear’s cochlea is dying. The hairs that allow sound to travel to the brain for interpretation are dead or dying. There’s no reversing this and over time it can get worse. This means: Taking louder won’t necessarily help and certain pitches and words I simply cannot hear. It is best to speak moderately or slowly and with enunciation. If a place has bad acoustics, you may need to speak louder but shouting will not help.
Second, always get my attention! If you wish to talk directly to me or ask a question; you must make sure I am looking at you. This helps me to not only lip read, but also to focus on your voice and try to drown out other noises. Do this by calling out my name and tapping me on the shoulder. Please make sure you are on the same side of where you tap! You can also wave at me, but not in my face. Sometimes you will have to repeat yourself until I verbally acknowledge that you are speaking to me.
Third, crowds and background noises are hard! I have a hard time focusing on conversations in groups larger than 4 people and if there are any background noises-I can get lost and confused really quick. It’s best in a group setting that only one person talks at a time and if there is a discussion of action: that someone periodically summarizes what has been said. Getting my attention and asking me for my thoughts is crucial because I am trying so hard to focus on the conversations and process the information that I often miss chances to speak. Sometimes its best to just move to a quieter area.
Fourth, basic ASL. It is always helpful to learn some basic ASL words such as please, thank you, paper, write, eat, drink, talk, try, or other simple words you may need in the course of a simple conversation. The Alphabet is especially crucial because you can always fingerspell the words you to not know!
During dance practice, the mirror is my best friend. I do read lips in the mirror: a practice I have done throughout my years as a dancer. If I ever seem loss or have a blank look on my face, just make sure I am paying attention and repeat what you just said. I am working on bettering myself to speak up when I do not know what someone has said to me. I often resort to the deaf “smile and nod” trick or the basic “yeah” and “ok, yeah” response when I do not hear what was said. (Sorry fellow deaf people-I outed us! :) )
I hope these basic tips help. If you have any questions: Feel free to ask!
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